Knockdown display



G. F. PERGANDE 'KNQCK-DOWN DI SPLAY Filed March 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. fieoryefPe ga/fzde,

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ATTORNEY5- Feb. 26, 1945. PERGANDE 2,335,578 I KNOCK-DOWN DISPLAY Filed March 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

fieo gefi e gande, BY I F ATTORNEY 5 Patented Feb. 26, 1946 KNOCKDOWN DISPLAY George F. Pergande, Chicago, 111., assignor to Zipprodt, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 27, 1940, Serial No. 326,133

(or. ic-124.1)

'4 Claims.

This invention has to do with displays of the type made of cardboard or other similar material.

The object ,of the invention is to provide an improved display which is highly ornamental in appearance, is adaptable to many different kinds of. advertising uses, is inexpensive to construct,

and is easy to set up.

In the improved display which forms the sub J'ect matter of this invention a sheet of thin material is slitted and opened up in such a way as to permit its center and marginal portions to assume positions in different planes, resulting in a three-dimensioned formation Which can be used to advantage in various ways as a center piece or background.

While the foregoing statements are indicative of the nature of the invention, other more specific objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the improved display and the manner in which it is set up. i

' A few illustrative embodiments of the invention are presented herein for the purpose of exemplification, but it will of course be appreciated that the invention is susceptible of incorporation in still other structurally modified forms coming equally within the scope of the pp c In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l'is a face view of a display constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center of the display, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a face view of the upper half only of another display, showing a modification of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, taken on the line 4-4.of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a face view of another display, showing another-embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section, taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2', it Will be seen that the display includes a front member I0 of cardboard or other similar material which is supported in an upright position above a base portion I I. This front member H1 is flat and i provided with a large opening l2 of generally circular form. A sheet l3 of paper or other thin readily flexible material is secured to the rear surface of the front member In, ove the opening H in the latter, and this sheet is provided with a large number of concentrically arranged arcuate slits [4. Each slit is staggered with respect to the adjoining slits inwardly and outwardly of the same, whereby to provide staggered connections l5 between the center and marginal portions of the sheet. The center portion l6 of the sheet is left unslitted and is secured to a backing member IT. This backing member I1 is adapted to be drawn rearwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2, in which position it is adapted to be locked against return movement by winglike supporting members l8 attached to the front member ID. When the center portion 16 of the sheet I3 is moved rearwardly in this manner out ,of the plane of the marginal portion of the sheet, a forwardly concave background formation will result in which the center and marginal portions will be progressively connected together by a large number of staggered and oppositely inclined links I9, with diamond-shaped openings 2 0 in the slitted intermediate portion of the sheet as viewed laterally of the same. a v The links H! form a circumferentially continuous fillet between the. outer edge of thecenter member I! and the outwardly spaced inner edge of the marginal member It]. When the center member I1 is projected rearwardly-and located in its rearwardly, projected position this "filletlike link structure extends outwardly from the outer edge of the center member I! at an angle of about 45 to the plane of the centerlmember and is devoid of any openings of appreciable size when viewed from the front of the display, presenting from'the front what is in effect an ornamental molding of stepped but otherwise closed appearance.

This highly ornamental three-dimensional structure lends itself admirably as a background either for figures silhouetted in front of the same or articles of merchandise placed upon th base I I, and if desired the dished interior of the background can be efiectively illuminated by a lamp 2l. The lamp may be arranged in the upper portion of the structure in a suitable housing 22 behind the upper portion 23 of the front member it], in a position where the rays from the lamp can pass downwardly through the openings 25! to illuminate the interior of the dished sheet I3. When such a lamp is used it can also be employed if desired to illuminate lettered or other cut-outs in a panel formed in the upper portion 23 of the front member.

This improved display is easy to set up, and just as easy to take down, the sheet l3 assuming its original fiat position as soon as the backing member I! is released from its locked engagement with the supporting members IS.

The sheet I3 is preferably given a highly reflective and brightly colored surfacing, which surfacing, combined with the criss-cross disposition of the staggered connecting links, will produce a sparkling eifect from many different angles, much like the facets usually cut in precious stones.

In the display shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the staggered slits 24 of the sheet 25, instead of being of arcuate shape and disposed about a common center, are arranged parallel to each other, and the opening 26 in the outer supporting member 21 is rectangular in shape with its edges parallel to the slits disposed inwardly of the same. The center portion 28 of the sheet 25 is likewise of rectangular shape, in conformity with the shape of the opening 26, and the inner supporting member 29, instead of being rearwardly oifset with respect to the outer supporting member 21, is forwardly olfset and locked in its forwardly offset position byany suitable means 30. In this display merchandise can be placed effectively in front of the forwardly projected center portion 28, and advertising matter can be printed to advantage on such portion.

In the di play shown in Figs. 5 and 6 th pening ,3! in the outer supporting member 32 is of diamond shape, with the slits 33 in the sheet .34 arranged parallel with the edges of the opening 31, The center portion 35 of the sheet 34 is' likewise of diamond shape and, instead of being forwardly or rearwardly offset into a plane still parallel with the marginal portion, is tilted and m ke at an angle, with half of the center portion projecting forwardly with respect to the outer supporting member and the other half of the center portion projecting rearwardly with respect 0 the same.

From the foregoing it Will be appreciated that the invention can be employed in many different ways and in many difierent geometrlcand other designs, and that the four embodiments shown are but typical of many more which can and already have been successfully produced.

I cl m;

l. Ina display, a sheet of thin readily flexible material provided between its center'and mar ginal portions with a large number of closely arrangcd slits, with the ends of each slit staggered with respect to the ends of the slits located inardly and outwardly of the sa inner and uter supporting members to wh h the cent r nd marginal port ns respe vely of h sheet are secured, and means for locking the inner supporting member in a tilted position with one side of the same in front of the outer supporting member and the other side behind the outer supporting member, with the slitted intermediate portion of, the sheet forming a laterally open link connection between the supporting members.

2. In-a collapsible display, a substantially flat center'portion, a substantially flat marginal portion surrounding the center portion in outwardly spaced relation to the same, said center portion being disposed in substantially the same plane as the marginal portion when the display is collapsed and being projected bodil without change in angular position in a direction perpendicular to said plane into a second generally parallel plane when the display is set up, means for locking the center portion in said projected position, and a circumferentially continuous fillet occupying the space between the outer edge of the center portion and the inner edge of the marginal portion, said fillet when the center portion is projected extending outwardly from the outer edge of the center portion at an angle of about 45 to the plane of .the center portion, and being formed from a sheet of thin flexible material provided'with a large number of closely arranged slits extending in the same general direction as the spaced edges of the center and marginal portions, said slits being arranged with the ends of each slit staggered with respect to the ends of the slits located inwardly and outwardly of the same, and said slitted sheet when the center portion is projected being resiliently flexed along each slit to form a connection of stepped undulating links between the center and marginal portions, with the links diverging so little with respect to each other as to render the slitted sheet devoid of any openings of appreciable size when viewed from the front of the display, thereby presenting from the front of the display a circumferentially continuous ornamental molding of stepped but otherwise closed appearance.

3. A lattice display comprising a central part and a marginal rim spaced therefrom, a latticework sheet of material thinner and more flexible than said part and rim connected to the central part and marginal rim having rows of slits spaced apart and staggered relatively to those in adjacent rows to form a lattice-work when the edges are moved relatively to each other, means at the back of the central, part connected to the rim for engaging and projecting the central part relatively to the plane of the rim and thus distending the lattice-work between them.

4.. Inadisplay; a sheet of thin readily flexible material provided between its center and marginal portions with a lar e number of closely ar- 

